Students and community turn toward the flag while Olivia and Rachel Mattos sing the National Anthem.
OAKHURST — The house was packed on Monday, May 14, as the community gathered in the theater at Yosemite High School to bolster local youth.
Now celebrating its 40th year, the YHS Scholarship Foundation made another tremendous show of grace and giving, with more than $131,000 in scholarship given out to 81 seniors graduating with the YHS Class of 2018.
Principal Regina Carr greeted the students and families, expressing appreciation for the citizen and community groups and individuals who are the generous donors making the yearly awards possible, and reminding graduates to “remember this night.”
YHS Scholarship Foundation chair Robert Brosi, DDS, congratulated the seniors and their families, and thanked the business community, the endowments and memorial scholarships that contribute to the annual event.
As the big night got underway, Dr. Brosi reminded students that what matters is not the amount of money each would receive, it’s the amount of effort that goes into raising that money by each of the organizations and people who donate. In many cases, he said, fundraising goes on all year with one goal: this very special night of giving.
In other instances, memorial awards are given out in remembrance of a loved one lost. For a variety of reasons, some of the awards come lightly seasoned with tears. Students were encouraged to put the money to good use, and with that, the evening was off to a great start.
Each of these students, as well as their families and educators, can be proud. Among the top-dollar recipients are Dana Vind ($8,500), Tiffany Casy ($5,000), Nikki Johnson ($4,900), Sarah Meeks ($4,750), Madilyn Sloas ($4,200), Hunter Duke ($4,000) and Samantha Rockey ($4,000).
The following awards were made to these students, for a grand total of $131,650. Congratulations, one and all.
49 EARS (Yosemite-Oakhurst-Sierra) Celestine Otero
ACSA – Madera County Office of Education Madilyn Sloas
Adrian Buca DDS Academic Achievement Award Katherine Bayt, Sarah Meeks
American Legion Post 110 Peter Cresci
American Legion Auxiliary Post 110 Carina Lusk
Barbara Banich Memorial Sarah Meeks
Barry Bartlett Service Award Melina Romero
Bass Lake Lions Club Ty Peterson, Natalie Guynn, Burke Stewart, Carina Lusk, Hunter Duke
Big Brothers and Sisters Aubree Walle
Billy Vukovich III Memorial Dana Vind, Madilyn Sloas, Nikki Johnson, Samantha Rockey, Taylor Anderson
Blossom Hill Cloggers Dana Vind
Buddy Cudd Memorial Ellen Rosasco, Chance Bolding, Azani Castillo
Camarena Health Dana Vind
Caring on Higher Ground Rachel Loveland, Natalie Guynn, Dana Vind
Central Valley Opportunity Center Hunter Duke
Chowchilla Western Stampede Corin Lamont
CHP Oakhurst Senior Volunteer Program 456 Zane Dufresne
Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce Benjamin Johnson
Coarsegold Elementary School PTO Rachel Loveland, Nikki Johnso
Coarsegold Gold Prospector’s Association Hunter Duke
Eakin Peirsol Memorial Award Brittany Collier, Hannah Gray
El Capitan Education Foundation Brittany Beach, Samantha Rockey, Aubree Walle, Paige Lowry, Katherine Martinez, Mia Martinez, Lucas Howell, Dustin LeRoy, Angel Lopez Munoz, Azani Castillo (Evergreen)
Emadco Disposal Recycle Award Natalie Guynn, Michael Stieler, Siena Oswald
Eric & Virginia Seger Memorial Alli Ruiz, Charlotte Borough, Savannag Bohna
Fearless Ministry, Yosemite Lakes Community Church Regina Outerbridge, Regina (Yosemite Falls)
Frank Logar Memorial Music Award Emily Anderson
From Indian Lakes Kailee Chase
Gerald A. Smith Memorial Jessica Wade, Gabrielle Stegge, Amy Young, Harry Patel, John Rice, Camille Espositio
Golden Chain Theatre Alli Ruiz
Golden Hills Dental Tiffany Cacy, Nikki Johnson, Natalia Guynn, Alexia Dahlin
Grant Mercantile Agency Isaac Rumohr, Sarah Davey
H.O.L.I.D.A.Y.S.(Hallmark Ornament Collectors) Mary Weigel
Heart of the Mountains Award Nick Goodwin, Alyssa Shipman
Ibrahim Kabbani Memorial Noah Allen, Olivia Mattos, Ariana Bhalla
Impression Award (Ordway)/PGE Ariana Bhalla
Indian Lakes Ladies Auxiliary Carina Lusk
Jeremy Carter Memorial Ellen Rosasco, Chance Bolding, Peter Cresci
Jimmy Phillips Memorial Karee Smith
Ladies of the Lakes Tiffany Cacy, Madilyn Sloas, David O’Brien, Kendall Miller, Amy Young, Siena Oswald
Live Oak Associates Claire Oetinger
Madera County Office of Education Academic Decathlon Olivia Mattos
Madera County Retired Teachers Assoc. Dustin LeRoy
Madera Republican Women Federated David O’Brien
Marine Corps League Griswold Mtn. Det.#1121 Dana Vind, Samantha Rockey
North Fork Faculty Club Paige Lowry, Jesse De La Cruz, Nikki Johnson, Hunter Duke, Erika Kerns
North Fork Lions Club Hunter Duke, Nikki Johnson
North Fork Women’s Club Nikki Johnson, Natalie Guynn
Oak Creek Intermediate School Allison Bernardi, Ariana Bhalla, Carina Lusk, Ty Peterson, Kelsey Montalto, Emily Neff, Burke Stewart, Zachary Thach, Lauren Wharton
Oakhurst Democratic Club Eleanor Roosevelt Service Award Olivia Mattos, Benjamin Johnson
Oakhurst Elementary School Emilie Neff, Lauren Wharton, Natalie Guynn
Oakhurst Sierra Noon Rotary Club Kelsey Montalto, Emilie Neff, Sarah Meeks, Benjamin Johnson, Madilyn Sloas, Camille Esposito, David O’Brien, Dustin LeRoy Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary Club INTERACT Benjamin Negley
Oakhurst Sierra Sunrise Rotary Club Nikki Johnson, Rachel Loveland, Katherine Bayt, Tiffany Cacy, Iwona Bartunek
Pines Civic Council – Tom Thomas Memorial Ty Peterson, Carina Lusk, Burke Stewart
Positive Living Center Azani Castillo (Evergreen)
Raymond Community Association Corin Lamont, Regina Outerbridge (Yosemite Falls)
Recycle Award Lauren Wharton
River Creek Golf Course Sarah Meeks
Rivergold Leadership Tiffany Cacy, Benjamin Johnson, Siena Oswald
Rodney Peter, DDS & Dennis Jones, DDS Emilie Neff, Samantha Rockey
Shania Faith Costella Memorial Ariana Bhalla
Sierra Ambulance Cathy Kern Memorial David O’Brien
Sierra Oakhurst Lions Club Emily Anderson, Ariana Bhalla, Regina Outerbridge (Yosemite Falls)
Sierra Masonic Lodge Peter Cresci
Sierra Meadows Men’s Golf Club Claire Oetinger, Sarah Davey, Michael Stieler, Sarah Meeks
Sierra Pines Men’s Ministry Isaac Rumohr
Sierra Tel Hannah Hurtado, Sarah Meeks, Benjamin Negley, Isaac Rumohr, Bryce Talbot
Sierra-Oakhurst Kiwanis Club Dustin LeRoy, Zachary Thach
Soroptimist International of The Sierras Lauren Wharton, Dana Vind
Swortzel Trust Rachel Mattos, Peyton Garner, Russell Zelazo
Tenaya Lodge Azani Castillo (Evergreen), Clayton Burke
Travis Myers Memorial Corin Lamont, Ellen Rosasco
Veterans of Foreign Wars Samantha Rockey, Dana Vind
Vision Academy of the Arts (Band) Kyra Cole, Kelsey Montalto, Emily Anderson, Alexia Dahlin, (Dance) Dana Vind, (Vocal) Olivia Mattos, Rachel Mattos
Wasuma Elementary School Ellen Rosasco
Wilma Ely Memorial Kailee ChaseAmaya Chenot, Samantha Rounsivill
Yosemite Bank Dana Vind
Yosemite Badger Youth Football & Cheer Ty Peterson, Caitlyn Burns
Yosemite Football Boosters Benjamin Negley, Ty Peterson, Clayton Burke
Yosemite Gateway Branch Fresno Assoc Realtors Burke Stewart, Katrina Conklin, Aubrie Walle, Aubrie
Yosemite High ASB Leadership Madilyn Sloas
Yosemite High FFA AG Boosters Corin Lamont, Ellen Rosasco
Yosemite Unified CSEA Chapter 698 Nathaniel Norlander, Emily Anderson, Peter Cresci
Yosemite Youth Basketball Association Ty Peterson, Siena Oswald, Allison Bernardi, Kelsey Montalto
